


The Library

by theianitor



Series: Magic Formulas [2]
Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, M/M, Magic, Mentions others
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-15
Updated: 2018-09-15
Packaged: 2019-07-12 13:48:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15996476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theianitor/pseuds/theianitor
Summary: The Charms professor has set the Gryffindors a piece of seemingly impossible homework, or at least Sebastian thinks it is. What he needs is a bit of wit beyond measure.





	The Library

**Author's Note:**

> ... yeah there's more Hogwarts-stuff. Of course there is. You know me.

“I just can’t find it!” Sebastian said in frustration, pushing his book and parchment away from him across the table. “It’s hopeless.”

Professor Fittipaldi, the Charms teacher, had set the class an essay on the theory behind the summoning charm, and offered extra points for students who could present “any of the most important contributions to charmwork that have connections to the accio spell”. As it was not a required part of the essay, most of the class had just ignored this and had already finished the homework days ago. Sebastian, however, was determined to get that extra credit.

Only the library was not cooperating. It had been easy enough for him to find material dating back to the early days of charms research, but from there it had been an endless cycle of the same few names of ancient wizards and witches, but no mention of any breakthroughs they might have made. Finally he had taken to pouring over the most promising book he had found. It was a huge, leather-bound tome written by the famous wizard Juan Manuel Fangio, with yellowed, rough pages and ink that was so faded it was hard to read in places. Sebastian had been flipping through the pages for nearly two hours, getting increasingly annoyed about not finding what he kept insisting would be exactly the passage Professor Fittipaldi would have meant for someone to find.

“Look, it’s not like you actually _need_ the extra credit,” Jenson said reasonably, pushing Sebastian’s parchment back towards him. He had just finished his own essay and was casting a quick-drying spell on the ink. “You’re bound to get top marks anyway.”

Sebastian glared at him.

“I am not.”

Jenson smirked, rolling up his now dry essay and putting it in his bag. He knew it was a bit of a sore spot for Sebastian, but the fact of the matter was, he just wasn’t very good at charms. He had no problems in most of their other classes and performed wandwork and incantations without problem, but there seemed to be something about charms that didn’t agree with him. Try as he might, his feathers wouldn’t float when he tried the levitation spell (especially not as gracefully as Jenson’s: he could make his feathers do loops even back in their first year), his attempts at reparo never quite mended things fully, and he had yet to open a single lock using the unlocking spell.

“If the exam is on the theory, you’ll be fine,” Jenson said, doing his best to sound supportive despite Sebastian probably getting better grades than him over all, and still fussing about this single subject. “Nobody has read as much about charms theory as you.”

 

Sebastian started flipping pages in his book again, and Jenson took out his notes from their latest potions-class. A few Ravenclaws appeared, lowering their voices as they entered the library. Nico was in front, talking to Kimi, who was nodding and smiling at whatever Nico was saying. Britta, who was sitting further down the table, waved at her friend Susie, which caught the attention of the other two as well.

“Are you still working on that essay?” Kimi said in his usual flat voice, sitting down next to Sebastian and looking at his open book. “You can write your own book about charms soon if you keep reading so much.”

“I need to find the right... thing,” Sebastian said, turning another page of the book and only looking up when Kimi nudged his shoulder.

“What?”

Kimi leaned forward and gave him a quick peck on the lips. Across the table Jenson made retching-noises and Nico pointedly looked away from them and rolled his eyes in an exaggerated way, but they were both smiling. Nico took Jenson’s hand, intertwining their fingers.

“What is he actually looking for?” he asked, trying to read the book upside down from across the table.

“Fittipaldi’s giving extra credit for... oh I dunno, it’s something about important stuff that has to do with accio,” Jenson said lackadaisically. “I’m not doing that bit.”

“I noticed,” Nico said with a pointed look.

“Nobody in their right mind is trying to get through _that_ just for a bit of extra credit!” Jenson argued, pointing to the huge book in front of Sebastian.

“I would never say you were in your right mind,” Nico replied, giving him a poke. Kimi snorted with laughter.

 

A few Gryffindor and Hufflepuff third years came in and started looking around for a free table. One of the little Gryffindors approached the seats at the end of the table where the fifth years were sitting, and his friends followed him hesitantly.

“Hi Carlos,” Jenson said, giving the third year a wave and a smile.

“Hello,” he squeaked back, sitting down at the table with a few empty seats between himself and the older students. The little Hufflepuffs sat down on the other side of him, looking mightily impressed. Sebastian sighed and sank back in his seat.

“It’s no use. I can’t even see what this says, I’ll never find it.”

“Is this one of Fangio’s?” Nico asked suddenly, lifting the cover of Sebastian’s book slightly to check the name embossed in faded gold lettering on the front.

“So what?” Sebastian asked, still slumped down in his seat. Nico smiled broadly, like he usually did when he knew something others didn’t.

“If it’s anything like his other books, you have to be nice to it.”

“Be nice to it? The book?” Sebastian asked. “You’re joking.”

“No I’m not.”

He pulled the book towards him and turned it around. Sebastian sat up to see what he was doing.

“What are you looking for?” Nico asked, and Sebastian checked his notes.

“Important discoveries with connection to the accio-spell.”

“Right,” Nico said, eyes scanning the smudged writing. “Let’s see.”

He turned a page and then turned it back again. Then he placed his finger on the first row of text and pressed down a little, as if checking how hard the book was.

“What are you..?” Jenson started, but Nico shushed him. He eased off a little and slid his finger along the text, then back along the next row, slowly stroking his way down the page in a single, continuous motion.

Just when Sebastian and Jenson were both thinking he was setting up for some kind of joke, the book giggled softly. Jenson stared, Sebastian sat up even straighter. Kimi smirked like he’d already known what would happen.

“There we go,” Nico said encouragingly. “Such a good book.” He caressed his fingertips over the page from left to right, like he was softly petting a paper cat. The book giggled again and then sighed happily, the pages fluttering slightly.

“I would like to know, if you know, some important discoveries connected to the accio-spell, please?” Nico said politely. The ink on the page faded in places and some of the letters wriggled in a happy sort of way as he stroked it a few more times. Then the ink got darker and sharper, as if it was bleeding up through the page.

“There you go,” Nico said, turning the book back to Sebastian. “Thank you,” he added to the book, which now lay still and silent, but still showing a summary of the research Fangio and his old colleagues had done on accio and how it related to, and differed from, other charmswork. Sebastian started taking notes so fast Jenson was surprised his quill didn’t start smoking.

 

\- The End -

**Author's Note:**

> All in good fun, as per usual. :)  
> Thanks for the read! <3


End file.
